Category Archives: asian

Vietnamese food is full of mouth watering flavors and this recipe is sure not to disappoint. I found it while browsing on Pinterest. I adapted the recipe from an original post in October 2007 from Food and Wine Magazine.

Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. Add the chicken meat to coat. Marinade for at least two hours.

Make the caramel: In a small skillet, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of the water and cook over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer to a small bowl.

Cook the chicken: Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the coconut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the lemongrass, shallot, and chilies and stir-fry until fragrant about 1 minute. Add the chicken and caramel and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened about 8 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the scallions and cilantro. Serve with steamed white rice.

Hopping from family gathering to party to dinner. Zapping in and out of airports and train stations. Catering like a boss for family and friends. Too.Many.Cocktails. The holiday season definitely takes its toll. Not only on one’s routine and normal diet, but also one’s motivation to get back to real life – which unfortunately isn’t fruit-spiked mugs of glögg, and 8 a.m. slices of stollen.

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We like heat in our meat and I recently discovered a new kick it up ingredient called Gochujang that is a chile paste used in many spicy Korean dishes. I think you’ll like it. My family does.

Spicy Korean Chicken Wings

Ingredients

1¼ Pounds Chicken Wings

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Scallion (top green portion)

2 Tablespoons Soy Glaze

1 1-Inch Piece of Ginger

1 Tablespoon Gochujang (I like Mother In Law’s found at World Market)

1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 Teaspoon Black & White Sesame Seeds

Instructions

1. Roast the chicken wings:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a sheet pan with foil. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels and place on the foil-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast 22 to 24 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

2. Prepare the ingredients:

Thinly slice the top green part of the scallion (Save the white part for the bok choy side dish). Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. To make the sauce, in a medium bowl, combine the soy glaze, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and as much of the gochujang as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be.

3. Glaze & finish the chicken wings:

Remove the roasted chicken wings from the oven and evenly brush or drizzle with the sauce. Return to the oven and roast 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from the oven.

4. Plate your dish (if preparing as main course):

Divide the finished chicken wings between 2-3 dishes. Garnish with the sesame seeds and green top of the scallion. Serve with the seared baby bok choy on the side if you like. Enjoy!

PSST! This is a tasty appetizer too. Don’t forget the napkins though!

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Pad Thai, is a savory, saucy, stir-fried noodle dish that I adore. Though the dish itself is said to have originated in China, it spread throughout Thailand in the 1930s and 1940s as street food. Using local ingredients and produce, Thai cooks transformed the dish’s flavor profile into what we recognize today. With peanuts, lime juice, ginger, chile sauce and coconut milk, this simple stir-fry has an array of harmonious flavors. I stumbled upon this yummy vegan dish by Blue Apron chefs. It’s easy to make, and a quick and delicious meal perfect for any season.

Ingredients

8 Ounces Rice Noodles

2 Scallions

½ Bunch Gai Lan

1 Lime

¼ Pound Snow Peas

2 Teaspoons Sriracha

1 Tablespoon sweet soy sauce

1 1-Inch Piece Ginger

⅓ Cup Peanut Butter

¼ Cup Peanuts

2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk Powder

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Trim off and discard the snow pea stems; pull off and discard the tough string that runs the length of each pod. Halve the snow peas on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Trim off and discard the ends of the gai lan stems. Quarter the lime. Peel and mince the ginger. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk powder and ¼ cup of water.

Cook the aromatics:

In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the white bottoms of the scallions and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.

Add the vegetables:

Add the snow peas and gai lan to the pan of aromatics. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gai lan has wilted. Turn off the heat.

Cook the noodles:

While the vegetables cook, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

Make the peanut sauce:

While the noodles cook, in a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, sweet soy sauce and as much of the Sriracha as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Whisk in ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Finish & plate your dish:

Add the peanut sauce and coconut milk powder mixture to the pan of vegetables; stir until thoroughly combined. Add the cooked noodles and the juice of all 4 lime wedges. Cook on medium-high, stirring to coat the noodles, 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished noodles and vegetables between 2 dishes. Garnish with the peanuts and green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!

NOTE:

Coconut milk powder is an ingredient in most Southeast Asian cooking and is not the liquid inside a coconut. Coconut milk is classified as thick, thin, or coconut cream. Canned coconut milk separates naturally and the top layer is the coconut cream. This top layer is dehydrated to make coconut milk powder. In a pinch, you could use canned coconut milk to replace the coconut milk power and the 1/4 cup water that the recipe calls for.

Benefits of Bok Choy

One cup of bok choy has just nine calories and provides protein, dietary fiber and almost all the essential vitamins and minerals you need. This Chinese cabbage is a nutrient-dense food that offers several health benefits. Here are my top four:

1. Antioxidants

One cup of shredded bok choy has 34 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and more than a full day’s intake of vitamin A. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant in the body, protecting cells from damage by neutralizing free radicals, or unstable molecules that result from vital chemical processes. Bok choy contains lutein and zeaxanthin too, which are antioxidants that protect the eyes and lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

2. Strong Bones

In addition to calcium, you need magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin K to build and maintain strong bones. One cup of shredded bok choy delivers at least 3 percent of the recommended daily intake of magnesium and phosphorus, 7 percent of calcium and 26 percent of vitamin K.

3. Heart Health

One cup of bok choy provides 11 percent of the recommended daily intake of both folate and vitamin B-6. Folate and vitamin B-6 remove the amino acid homocysteine from the blood. This is important because high levels of homocysteine increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It also has 4 percent of the daily value of potassium, which regulates the heartbeat. The calcium and magnesium essential for bones also play a role in maintaining a healthy heart. Calcium stimulates heart muscles to contract, while magnesium encourages them to relax.

4. Cancer Protection

Bok choy has unique sulfur-containing compounds that may reduce the risk of breast, prostate, lung and digestive tract cancers. These substances may help the body eliminate carcinogens, prevent cells from turning into cancer or alter metabolism to stop the development of hormone-sensitive cancers. One cup of chopped bok choy has 38 milligrams of glucosinolates.

Here’s a quick stir-fry recipe has spicy bold flavor and is an easy side dish to perk up most any meal, while giving you all the benefits that bok choy provide.

I only recently discovered tofu and the many health benefits it offers. Tofu is a high-protein alternative to red meat. Due to its protein content, eating tofu can help you feel full while consuming fewer calories. A 1/2-cup serving of regular tofu provides about 10 grams of protein, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Nutrient Database.
Tofu is also a low-carb food. A 1/2-cup portion of regular tofu contains about 2 grams of carbohydrates. When trying to lose weight, trading in red meat and chicken for tofu is a great alternative. It takes on the flavors of whatever it is cooked with. Here is a yummy asian-inspired recipe.